Reader Survey: Death Note's Misa Amane Takes The Psychopath Test

27/5/2016

We invite readers to take The Psychopath Test for Death Note's Misa Amane. Collectively we might determine whether Second Kira was indeed suffering from psychopathy - and causing victims in their hundreds of thousands to suffer too.

This is the actual twenty-point test devised in 1975 by Bob Hare in consultation with eighty-five of the best psychopathy specialists across the world. It's the checklist by which you - or anybody - would be subjected in the real world, if a professional had cause to believe that you were a psychopath.

Are you game to complete it on her behalf?

Misa-Misa's Psychopath Test

For each point, you must provide a score: 0 = no match in this instance; 1 = partial match for Misa-Misa; 2 = perfectly describes Misa Amane

1	Glib and Superficial Charm	Card carrying psychopaths tend to be charming, beguiling and blessed with a definite gift of the gab. They aren't at all shy nor self-conscious; the rules in social etiquette regarding what may be spoken, where and to whom, simply do not apply to these people. They have transceded social norms in conversation and other forms of speech. Psychopaths could charm the birds from the trees, but that easy engagement only goes skin-deep. They know how to play you, so they do.
2	Grandiose Self-Worth	You may think they're wonderful, but that's nothing compared to their view of themselves. Psychopaths simply believe themselves superior in every way; head and shoulders above any other human being, and the only one who matters. Their arrogance dismisses the needs, concerns and ideals of others at a flick. Such things can't factor, if they run contrary to the divine wishes of the psychopath's own self.
3	Need for Stimulation or Proneness to Boredom	A bored psychopath is a dangerous entity indeed; tedium is a state to be avoided at all costs for this seeming invulnerable character (at least as regard their own self-perception). Thril-seeking, novelty, risk-taking, stimulation of all natures and forms are part and parcel of the psychopath's day. They rarely undertake or else finish to completion any task deemed tedious. Their need for excitement and/or entertainment will trample over the needs of all else present.
4	Pathological Lying	It's not so much that the psychopath has to lie, but that they see no reason not to, when it achieves an end faster than the truth. This includes all elements of craftiness, cunningness, clever tricks, misinformation, right the way through to actual manipulation.
5	Conning and Manipulativeness	Linked to point four, but much more focused upon actions than verbal sleight of hand. Cheating or defraud others; acting deceitful, exploitative, callous through to ruthless; using every trick in the book to have their way, control the scene or otherwise indulge in personal gain. The psychopath doesn't factor in the feelings nor suffering of anyone else wandering into their vicinity and falling prey to their wiles.
6	Lack of Remorse or Guilt	Dispassionate regard towards victims (and indeed all other people not otherwise at the focus of their attention) bordering upon utter disdain. These people don't matter, so why should our psychopath feel empathy, mercy or any concern for their pain and suffering?
7	Shallow Affect	Though openly exhuberent, these emotions only go skin-deep. Under the surface, there's a general dirth of feelings. Where such exist, they're shallow and limited in scope. Those feelings extended towards others tend to be cold.
8	Callousness and Lack of Empathy	Victims aside, there is a marked lack of emotional engagement or empathetic feeling towards any other person in general. The psychopath is not only cold, superior and arrogant, but can be downright tactless too.
9	Parasitic Lifestyle	Responsibilities are something which happens to other people. The psychopath is adept in persuading others to complete their tasks for them, not to mention supporting them emotionally, financially and in whatever scheme they've lately devised to assuage their boredom. The psychopath likes EVERYONE'S lives to revolve around them.
10	Poor Behavioural Controls	Psychopaths cannot control their outbursts in regard to irritability, impatience, boredom, annoyance, or simply general unhappiness in the present situation. This can take the form of endless whining; hasty actions; blame/condemnation of anyone present; demands; aggression; verbal abuse; emotional abuse; temper tantrums and/or threats.
11	Promiscuous Sexual Behavior	A succession of one-night stands or short, superficially felt relationships is the hallmark of the psychopath's love-life. If married, they engage in affairs willy-nilly with no remorse attached, nor the understanding of why they should experience guilt. There may also be a history of coercion in sexual acivity or else indulging in kiss and tell stories to a grandiose scale.
12	Early Behavioural Problems	Prior to the age of thirteen, our psychopath will already have exhibited several unsociable, cruel or otherwise criminal behavioural trends. These include, but are not limited to: cruelty to animals; bullying; vandalism; stealing; arson; alcohol/drug/glue abuse; running away from home; truancy from school etc.
13	Lack of Realistic, Long-Term Goals	The psychopath may promise, brag and plan, but few of their apparent heartfelt goals will come to fruition. Half the time, they're only trying to impress their audience in the present with no intention of following those dreams through into reality. Where they do attempt to realise them, persistent failure awaits, as psychopathy doesn't allow for the stamina through routine and boring tasks needful to see most plans through to the end.
14	Impulsivity	Psychopath see; psychopath do... or want, or must follow, or has to have a go. You know the routine. There is little in the way of planning, evaluation, reflection or anything else, when faced with the temptation of novelty, fun or something shiny-pretty. Psychopaths are known for their foolhardy, ill-considered, risk-taking and above all spontaneous endeavours.
15	Irresponsibility	Debt collectors and other inconsequential people may hammer on the door all they like, psychopaths see no gain in honouring commitments like loan repayments or securing bills with direct debits and the like. Setting those up were well below the priority mark; somewhere in the 'never to be done unless done for me' section of worldly obligations. They will equally skip out of deals; renign on contracts; hand in sub-standard work; and personal promises were forgotten a second after makng them. Psychopaths also have terrible time-keeping, being habitually late or simply absent, even if their livelihoods or other key concerns reply upon it.
16	Failure to Accept Responsibility for Own Actions	It's anybody's fault but their own! Psychopaths take blame culture to a whole new level - relentless on the point that all fault lies with somebody else, probably the person accusing or implying fault with the psychopath. Truth becomes selectively rendered, or value judgements applied haphazardly to elements within each scenario, and if all else fails, the psychopath will reimagine truth entirely being so aggressively emphatic on the veracity of this make-believe that others will start doubting the evidence of their own recollection.
17	Many Short-Term Marital Relationships	The commitment inherent in long-term relationships means nothing to the psychopath. It's not so much that such conventions are ignored, as not seen as applicable to them in the first place.
18	Juvenile Delinquency	Between the ages of 13-18, the childhood behavioural difficulties swing into whole new dimensions. Those prone to animal cruelty now don't stop at killing those poor creatures; bullies take their aggression into avenues that even the most lazy school administrations can't ignore; small scale arsonists are now burning down buildings etc. All unsociable actions of the psychopath are marked by callous, ruthless, exploitative, antagonistic regard.
19	Revocation of Conditional Release	Softening factors in judicial punishments start to fall by the wayside, as violations like careless behaviour, failing to appear etc puts the psychopath in contempt. Probation will turn into incarceration; sentences will extend etc.
20	Criminal Versatility	The psychopath takes great pride in not being pigeon-holed as any specific type of criminal. The greater the diversity, audacity, scope and everything else that can put them in a class of their own in any given criminal underworld, is what the psychopath pursues with glee. They will turn their hand to anything because, well, the law doesn't actually apply to them, does it? Or they're justified in this instance - new world orders to create and all that.
	TOTAL
	DIAGNOSIS	Misa Amane

Now we just have to compare what every other Death Note fan concluded whilst taking the Psychopath Test for Misa Amane.

Enter your diagnosis here, then click 'see results' to check out the overall opinion of Death Note fan psychologists thus far:

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